Carnival World Boxed Set (Episodes 1-3) (12 page)

Ryan didn’t care that he wasn’t making any sense, or that he was thinking in video game terms. Hell, he was just moments away from drowning. It was either this or thinking about which one of them would go belly up first. Nicole? Summer? Maddie? Himself?

He was in bad shape. His jeans clung to his legs and were like lead weights, but the girls looked worse off, especially Nicole. Her underwater wrestling match with Summer had been fun to watch but exhausting for both of them. Nicole had gotten the worst of it. She was whimpering with her head just barely above the surface.

And it was cold. They’d ignored the chill when they’d been splashing around and having fun. But now they were trapped inside this pool and the cold was numbing them, squeezing their insides. It was tiring them out faster than treading water. Soon the cold would take them down one by one. Even Darien would sink eventually, despite his athletic prowess.

It hit him then. They were going to die. He was going to die. He was going to drown, a slow agonizing death. He was helpless to do anything about it. And then all he could think about was his father laughing at him, at his weakness and his inability to prevent his own terrible demise. He wanted to scream one last curse at the old man before the water took him.

He glanced to the side and saw Summer talking and gesticulating to Darien. They swam over to the side. Then Darien ducked beneath the surface and Summer positioned herself over him. Slowly Summer begin to rise out of the water.

Ryan watched and silently prayed that what they were doing would work. The water was still about seven feet deep. Darien was a little over six feet tall. Standing on his shoulders, Summer should be able to climb out of the pool. Summer rose higher and higher. She wobbled slightly, nearly losing her balance. But she was almost there.

“You’re almost there!” Justin yelled.

And she was. Hopefully Darien could hold his breath for just a little while longer. If he could just hold on... Summer’s fingers were just inches from the pool’s edge.

It looked almost too easy. A simple idea.

Ryan had ignored his intuition before, but not this time. “Be careful!” he shouted to Summer.

His warning came too late. A stone whizzed through the air and glanced off Summer’s head. She toppled back into the water. Ryan and Justin quickly swam over to her. Darien surfaced sputtering, probably wondering what the hell was going on.

Justin reached Summer first. He lifted her head up. They could all see that her eyes were closed. A small trickle of blood ran down her forehead and dripped into the pool. The water surrounding Justin and Summer turned pink.

“I think she’s okay,” he said. “Just stunned.”

Ryan wanted to scream. She wasn’t okay. None of them were okay. They were all dead. Unless a miracle happened.

As Sam rushed out of the office, he called for Summer. She was by the pool, he knew — he could hear them all shouting from within the water. They couldn’t get out. His sister wasn’t going to be able to save him. What was he going to do?

He ran away just as the Shanks came bounding out of the office, yelling and screaming. He hid behind a large hedge as Mr. Shanks rumbled past him.

He needed to help them in the pool. But how? He was only little. Too little to help anyone, least of all his sister and the rest of them.

Maybe if he thought of it like a video game he wouldn’t be so scared. It was just like the games he played. He had to get to a certain spot without the bad guys getting to him. When he thought about it that way, it didn’t sound so daunting, so impossible. He could do it.

Slowly, he crept out of his hiding spot. He didn’t see the Shanks. He crawled back toward the office, staying low and always searching the area. He’d be like one of those chameleon lizards. Although the impulse to run pumped through him, he fought it back down. He couldn’t leave his sister. He had to be brave and rescue her for once.

He snuck around the corner and peaked inside the hotel office. No one was there. He tiptoed over to the counter.

Mr. Shanks had been behind there when his wife yelled at him. Maybe there was something that could help. He came around and saw a large valve on the floor.

He gripped it and tried to turn it. It wouldn’t move. He put all his weight into it, but still it wouldn’t budge. He glared at it, then taking in a deep breath and gritting his teeth, he gripped the valve and cranked on it.

Finally it made a reeling noise and turned. Sam twisted it some more. He heard the noise of rushing water beneath him. So he turned it some more. Now maybe Summer could get out of the pool.

Tired, he let go of the valve and sat down hard. He took some deep breaths. That had been difficult, laborious work. He needed to move fast so the weird old couple didn’t catch him, but he had to sit down for a bit to reenergize.

“There you are!”

A hand clamped down on him and he screamed.

The sucking sensation pulled at Maddie’s feet. The force of it almost yanked her under. She paddled away from the vent to get away.

“Careful!” she yelled. “They’re draining the pool again.”

“You okay, Mads?” asked her brother.

“No sweat, it’s just like junior lifeguards.”

She glanced over at Darien, who cradled Summer in his arms. “How is she?”

“She’s just knocked out.” He didn’t sound that confident in his words. And by the pallor of Summer’s face and the shallow cut on her head, Maddie wasn’t too sure, either.

Ryan swam over to her and Justin.

“Any thoughts, fearless leader?” asked Justin.

Maddie hissed at her brother, “Don’t start.”

Ryan stared up at the pool ledge. She could see him trying to work it out. Trying to piece together a plan to get them out. She just hoped he’d put it together a little faster so they all didn’t drown.

“Water’s getting lower,” she whispered to him.

“Yeah. Don’t think we can even get out now by standing on each other’s shoulders. Even if they weren’t waiting for us with rocks and who knows what else.”

Maddie glanced back towards Nicole, who was whimpering like a hurt animal. Her head was just barely above water. It wouldn’t be long before she went under for good. If Maddie didn’t need to conserve her own energy, she would’ve helped Nicole. But as it was, she could barely stay afloat herself.

“Nicole!” She yelled at the girl. “Float on your back.”

With her boobs she should be fine
, she thought. Unless they’re fake.

It didn’t look like Nicole heard her or was paying any attention. Maddie really wanted to help her but she was afraid the girl would panic and latch on to her. Then they’d both go down. Maddie was too tired and freaked out to remember how to deal with a drowning swimmer. She looked over at Justin. She could tell he was battling with the same dilemma.

“Water’s still draining,” Ryan said, as he began bouncing up and down.

“Darien! Can you touch bottom?” Maddie asked. He was the tallest of them all.

Darien arched his head back. His mouth was barely above the surface. “Yeah! I’m on my toes!”

“So am I!” yelled Ryan.

It seemed to still be draining. Maddie waited. She counted to ten then went down to touch bottom. Her toes touched but the water just covered her face. The suction sensation stopped. She glanced around at the others.

The water level was just at Darien’s neck and Ryan’s chin. It was just over her head, and Justin’s, but they could touch the bottom with their toes. She gazed over at Nicole. She was the smallest, next to Summer and Sam. She still struggled. The water was well over her head.

“What happened?” asked Justin.

“Summer! Help!” Sam’s voice echoed off the pool’s walls.

“Sam!” Maddie yelled.

Summer moaned in Darien’s arms, as if she’d heard her brother’s cries and was trying to respond.

“Okay, we’re getting out of here.” Ryan swam to the wall. “Burton, boost me up.”

“Why you?” Darien asked. “Summer’s hurt!”

“And what do you think’s going to happen when we try to leave? I go up first and find my sword.”

“Your crowbar, you mean,” Justin sneered.

“Whatever! I find it and guard the pool. After I’m up, Justin, you give Burton a boost up. Then Darien can pull the rest of you up, starting with Summer.”

“What about Sam?” asked Maddie.

“When we’re safe we go after him. There’s no other way!”

Reluctantly, Darien nodded. “All right, let’s do this.”

“I’ll take Summer,” said Maddie.

Darien passed the girl to her. She was mumbling now, her eyelids fluttering as if she was struggling to wake. The bump on her head didn’t seem too bad, but what did Maddie know? A whole helluva lot of nothing. She gently cradled the back of Summer’s head and floated on her back, praying to God that they got out of this alive.

Darien went under again and boosted Ryan up to the pool’s ledge. Ryan’s fingers gripped the edge and he scrambled to the top. He disappeared for a moment, then peered over into the pool, the iron bar grasped tightly in his hands.

“Come on!” Ryan yelled. “Let’s go.”

Justin swam over and pushed Darien up. Darien pulled himself up and waved Maddie over. “Give me Summer!”

By the time Maddie and Justin hefted her up to Darien’s waiting hands, Summer was muttering about Sam as she was pulled clear of the water.

Maddie turned around to get Nicole, then paled. “Oh my God.”

––––––––

N
icole tried to never be a bother. Her mother had taught her that.

No one likes a shrew. Behave. Obey people in authority. Go with the group.

All things her mother had said to her over the years. Words she lived by. But now she was with a different group. She didn’t want to belong to this one, but she hadn’t really wanted to be part of Katie’s clique either. It just happened. Encouraged by her mother, of course. Now she was with this group and they didn’t want to hear her complain or cry.

They wanted her to be quiet.

They wanted her to shut up.

So she did what they wanted.

Mother would be so proud.

She didn’t complain when she couldn’t tread water anymore. She didn’t cry out as she sank into the icy cold depths. She was so cold by then that she barely felt a thing, anyway. As the water took her, she never made a sound.

Isn’t that what you wanted, mother dear?

When Darien heard Maddie scream, he whipped around.

“Nicole!”

The twins scrambled to the dark shape beneath the water and dived down. They came up with her between them, then dragged her over to him. She was limp as they hefted her upwards.

Darien pulled her up and laid her down next to Summer, who was just starting to sit up. When she saw Nicole, her eyes bugged out.

Darien’s stomach roiled over as he looked down at Nicole’s prone form. Her eyes were closed. Crouching next to her, he touched her skin. Her body was like an ice-cold rag doll.

“Hey, don’t forget us!” yelled Justin from within the pool.

Darien moved on automatic. He was numb inside. It took everything he had to go back and pull the twins out, Maddie first, then her brother.

They both immediately went to Nicole’s side. Maddie started pressing on her chest while Justin blew air into her mouth. They looked like they knew what they were doing. Darien had taken first aid before, but he’d never been able to save that stupid dummy, let alone a human being.

Was she dead? She couldn’t be. He told himself she was all right. She had to be all right. What would his dad say if she died on his watch?

Ryan gripped him by the shoulder and said, “Come on.”

Darien stood dazed for a moment, not understanding what Ryan wanted.

“We need to help Sam.”

Darien looked down. Summer was trying to get to her feet. Seeing Nicole lying as still as a corpse was bad enough — what if Sam were hurt? That thought kicked him into action.

He put a steadying hand on Summer’s shoulder. “No, wait here. I’ll get him. I swear.”

He turned to Ryan. At that moment he wished he had Buzz with him. Buzz was the Crooks High defensive captain. He was a middle linebacker who doled out the hits and often got penalized for it. Buzz got into a lot of trouble off the field, too. But Darien always knew if there was trouble he’d want Buzz by his side. He wasn’t here, though. He had Mulvaney. He’d never considered Ryan a tough guy, even though he dressed like a punk. But he knew how to handle that sword/crowbar thing.

“Let’s bust some heads!” Darien yelled like he was back in the locker room.

Together they charged into the office.

Now Darien saw it, really saw it, for what it was. The paint was nearly gone on the outside. The wood was all dry rotted. The place was nearly as decayed as the carnival. It was just another trap, a trick.

The door to the other room was ajar. Inside was clean, or at least not as dirty. Darien could see now that it was a deception meant to fool them. The carpet was worn bare in several places. He heard sparks come from the TV and video game. The Shanks kept it just clean enough to make people think everything was normal. The air was hot and smoky, cloying. And the odor that hung in the air was one of death.

Sam’s screams came from the next room. “Help me! Someone help me!”

Darien and Ryan charged into the back room. Into what Darien could only describe as Hell. It was as he’d always pictured it — stifling hot, black with flames, and evil menacing monsters all around.

The back room had walls black with soot. The smell of burning wood and burned flesh stung his nose. On the far side was a massive box made of metal sheets and old chicken wire. Darien realized to his dismay that it was an oven.

Below, stacks of wood smoked and threw off bright orange flames. The firelight bounced off the soot-colored walls in a way that made them seem to move and wriggle, like they were in the stomach of some beast.

The Shanks were near the oven, and they had Sam. They were trying to push him inside.

Turning, they snarled at Darien and Ryan just like animals. Now they looked less like humans than big, fat feral hogs. The searing heat hit Darien in a wave. The pool water evaporated off his skin in tendrils of steam.